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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28608060">love language</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/corsica/pseuds/corsica'>corsica</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate/Grand Order</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Hot Springs &amp; Onsen, Non-Sexual Intimacy, feat. my desire to see arjuna and karna act like brothers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:40:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28608060</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/corsica/pseuds/corsica</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Enma-Tei proves to be as magnificent as Karna expected, providing relaxation and entertainment in abundance.</p><p>It would be perfect, except Ritsuka keeps calling him something that he can't understand. </p><p>And she won't tell him what she's saying.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Fujimaru Ritsuka/Karna | Lancer, Fujimaru Ritsuka/Karna | Lancer of Red</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>love language</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>new year new me? no.</p><p>i had an idea like this in mind for a while but couldn't figure out how to execute it so thank GOD for the sparrow's inn event because it gave me just the excuse i needed</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You will see how easily I handle the fires of Hell,” Arjuna boasts proudly as they step inside the Enma-Tei, “Heh...twelve hours? That's hardly a record to beat.”</p><p>Karna is aware that his brother is saying <em>something,</em> but when they walk in, waiting in line behind multiple other guests, he's too distracted scanning the area for a souvenir shop. The inn had been a marvel when they first saw it, but it was obvious it had seen better days. In spite of its somewhat run-down state, though, it's still incredibly crowded, to the point that there are a staggering amount of Servants sitting in the lobby as they wait for the line to get shorter...and with how densely the lobby is packed with Servants, it only makes his search more difficult.</p><p>Despite his best efforts, he can't find anything. Karna frowns and turns to his brother, who is still talking under the assumption that Karna is listening.</p><p>“Arjuna,” he starts, interrupting him, “Would Buddhist Hell have a gift shop?”</p><p>“...What? Why do you think I would know that? Wait, are you still thinking about manjū?”</p><p>“Yes,” Karna's lips quirk up into a slight smile, “It sounds too delicious to pass up. I enjoyed it when Ritsuka had me try some, and being in this location seems to have sparked a craving for it.”</p><p>Arjuna's jaw sets tight and his eyebrows draw together in the beginning stages of irritation, but as the crowd thins out a little as groups of people are led to their rooms, he becomes quickly sidetracked when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees a familiar tuft of orange hair.</p><p>“...Speaking of...is that her, at the front desk?”</p><p>Karna turns his gaze towards the same direction as Arjuna's, and through a small gap in the herd, he can see Ritsuka standing next to Mash in a matching yukata with her hair pulled up in a tidy bun. She is checking in the group Amakusa had traveled with, several places ahead of them in line, and he watches as she kneels down to give Jack a hug. The expression he has on towards her is wholly and utterly besotted, but it rapidly switches to concern as Ritsuka keeps almost stabbing herself on the multiple knives Jack carries, spending a good chunk of time during the hug trying to place her hands in a way that avoids them.</p><p>“Ah, I can't see her anymore...” Arjuna says as the line starts to move, a sparrow leading Amakusa and the children away, “She didn't stab herself, did she?”</p><p>“I don't think so,” Karna pauses for a moment, “But the fact that she's here...I see. Our pull towards Enma-Tei may be for reasons other than what we initially thought. Oh,” the line moves again, and Karna is able to see a sign sitting on top of the front desk that he's close enough to read, and he points to it, “Look. The hot springs are only open for twelve hours.”</p><p>“What?” Arjuna reads it himself, and his face falls, “No...That's not fair...”</p><p>It takes another solid ten minutes, but they are finally next in line, after Sigurd and Brynhildr, and once they are led off to their room by a tiny bird, there is nothing between them and the front desk except for a large empty space. Mash wipes at her forehead, and she blinks when she notices that the two of them are next, the exhaustion on her face melting into surprise. Her fingers come up to clutch Ritsuka's sleeve, and when Ritsuka's eyes fall on Karna, her face lights up.</p><p>“Hey, it's good to see you two!” she beams, “Welcome to the Enma-Tei!”</p><p>Karna's takes her in, and his sharp eyes lose their piercing edge, becoming increasingly tender and loving with each passing moment.</p><p>“You are beautiful, Ritsuka,” are the first words out of Karna's mouth, and her cheeks promptly turn a vivid shade of pink. Arjuna has the exact opposite reaction, and he pinches the bridge of his nose before turning to Karna with a deep scowl and an annoyed glare.</p><p>“I thought we agreed that you wouldn't subject me to situations like this.”</p><p>Karna closes his eyes, and the tips of his ears are solid red.</p><p>“...I apologize,” he speaks quietly, somewhat embarrassed, “...I couldn't stop myself.”</p><p>“W—Well, more friendly faces are always nice to see!” Mash changes the subject at light speed, “Um, so, two rooms?”</p><p>Arjuna furrows his brow, before he shakes his head.</p><p>“What? Don't be ridiculous,” he crosses his arms, “We're perfectly capable of sharing a room together.”</p><p>“Two rooms,” Karna says, blatantly ignoring him, and he holds up his fingers to show the number two as he steps closer to the front desk. It takes a second for the information to sink in, but once it does, it has Arjuna snapping his head towards Karna, wearing the most shocked and <em>offended</em> expression on his face.</p><p>
  <em>“Excuse me?!”</em>
</p><p>“You said the same thing during our stay in Hawaii,” he starts as he reaches for the key Mash hands him, “One of us is a morning person and it's not you,” he pauses, “...Do you not remember what happened the day of the convention? We had plans to arrive early. But in the morning, when I tried to wake you, you punched me in the face,” he glances at Arjuna as he begins to sign in, “...I'm not trying to offend you. I would just rather not get punched in the face again.”</p><p>Arjuna stays silent for a moment.</p><p>“You weren't <em>hurt.”</em></p><p>“...That's true. But I was still punched in the face.”</p><p>There's another pause, but ultimately, Arjuna relents.</p><p>“...Well, fine,” he says, though he still sounds miffed and even a little bitter, “I have no objections. Being able to enjoy my privacy is not something I'll turn down.”</p><p>Ritsuka desperately tries to hide her laughter for the duration of their conversation, placing her hand over her mouth to obscure it even though her shaking shoulders would've given her away had they been paying attention. Her hand turns into a fist, and she coughs, clears her throat, and does her best to regain her air of professionalism.</p><p>“Mash, could you handle the desk for a few minutes while I show them to their rooms?” her eyes are large and pleading, “I promise, I won't take long at all.”</p><p>The response she gets from Mash is a look of hard skepticism, but her doe eyes do wonders, and Mash finally slumps her shoulders with a sigh.</p><p>“...Okay, but <em>please</em> be back soon, because there's a lot of work we still need to get done today.”</p><p>“Thank you! I swear, I won't take too long!” she gives Mash a quick, firm hug, and beckons the two brothers, “Come on. Your rooms are near each other, so follow me and I'll take you to them.”</p><p>She guides them through the long hallways, past the tall, elaborately designed screens, until they arrive at a very old-fashioned elevator. Ritsuka pulls the lever until they are high above the lobby, and she takes them down yet another seemingly endless hallway, inn rooms lining both sides.</p><p>“...I wasn't expecting you to be working here, Master,” Arjuna says, “We were told this was going to be a relaxing trip for you.”</p><p>“It started out that way, but...things happened, and we got put in a mess, as usual,” Ritsuka coughs, “It's a long story. Just know that, right now, I'm here as an employee, <em>not</em> your Master,” there's a large smile on her face as she turns to look back at the two of them, “So let me know if you need anything! I'm at your service!”</p><p>Arjuna's room is first, and he seems grateful for the respite as he goes inside. Just a little further down is Karna's room, and she stands with him as he unlocks his door. The room is simple and rustic, with a tatami floor and a low table in the middle for meals. Sunlight filters through shoji screens behind it, leading out to a balcony, and the sleeping area is sectioned off to the right.</p><p>“I haven't been to a place like this before,” Ritsuka follows him inside, shutting the door behind her, and he turns to face her, “Is there a special protocol I should be following...? Arjuna has always been the one who adapts better to things like this.”</p><p>Her steps are almost entirely silent along the tatami as she nears him, and her hands cup his face. She stands on her toes to kiss him, and he leans down to meet her, his hands resting lightly on her waist.</p><p>“Well, for starters, you have to actually put clothes on.”</p><p>Karna blinks.</p><p>“...That's something I can do.”</p><p>Ritsuka laughs and moves to the area where the futon is sectioned off. There are several yukata laying on top of a dresser that sits near a wall, and Ritsuka grabs one at random—a patterned gray one. Most of his armor vanishes into glimmers of mana as he approaches her.</p><p>“Here, put this on and I'll tie it for you.”</p><p>It unfolds, and he slides his arms in, the garment light and comfortable. Ritsuka hums as she folds it over his body, left side on top of the right, before wrapping the obi around his hips, tying it off into a perfect knot. She smooths down the fabric over his chest, smiling gently as she looks at him.</p><p>“There you go,” her fingers splay out against his chest, “It's giving me a warm feeling...seeing you in clothes like this.”</p><p>“It's different,” he says, “...I didn't expect my movement to be so restricted. If I have to enter combat at any point, it could become a problem.”</p><p>An exasperated but fond sigh comes from Ritsuka, and she leans his head down, chastely pressing her lips to his, “You're here to <em>relax, </em>あなた.”</p><p>Karna looks at her with a puzzled expression. He has no idea what it is she just said. Is it something too colloquial for him to understand...?</p><p>“What was that?”</p><p>Ritsuka's eyes widen, and her face turns red as realization dawns.</p><p>“Nothing! I'll tell you some other time!” she kisses him quickly to quiet him so he can't call her on her incredibly obvious lying, “I—I have to go help Mash finish checking everybody in, then we're going to go join up with Fionn to start shoring up our food stockpile. Usually the sparrows show people to their rooms but I wanted to get you to myself for a moment while I still had the chance. I'm going to be busy for the rest of the day, especially with all the new guests, so we probably won't see much of each other...”</p><p>He touches his lips to her forehead, “Your work ethic has always been impressive, but remember to not push yourself too far.”</p><p>“Thanks, but I'll be okay. Just take the time to get cozy while you're here!” she leans into his hand when he places it against her cheek, “Once we get all the food prepared, there's going to be a party in the Phoenix Hall later to celebrate everyone's arrival. The elevator I took you and Arjuna on earlier, just take that one to the highest floor it goes to, and you can't miss it.”</p><p>“That sounds nice. I will be there. I assume Arjuna will be, too, if you tell him.”</p><p>“I was going to make sure he was settling in okay before I went back down, so I'll let him know. But, I look forward to this evening!” she gives him one last kiss before she begins to head towards the door, but before she leaves, she bows in his direction, “And...please enjoy your stay at the Enma-Tei!”</p><p>He looks at her with nothing less than pure adoration.</p><p>“I will.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Everything is already in full swing by the time the two of them make their way to the Phoenix Hall, and they slide the door open to see Kiyohime doing parlor tricks with her fire. Tamamo seats them next to each other, and Ritsuka hustles by them carrying fresh sake bottles. She gives them a wave and then wipes the sweat off her brow before approaching them with a bottle of sake and a serving cup for each brother.</p><p>“Here you go,” she turns, but looks over her shoulder back at them before walking away, “Sorry, I'm too busy to talk; if you want something else to drink, though, let me know.”</p><p>Karna nods and watches as she makes her way towards Ryouma, who has had his hat stolen from him by Oryou. Sympathy courses through him; though he's proud of her for just how hard she's been working (when <em>isn't</em> she working hard, really), he knows that she should be joining in the festivities with the rest of them, instead.</p><p>“...This was not supposed to be a job for her,” Karna frowns, “I hope she at least gets something out of this other than service work.”</p><p>He turns to Arjuna, who is ignoring him, and he pours himself a cup of sake before throwing it back and drinking it all in one go. The cup clicks lightly against the wooden low table as he sets it back down, starting to pour himself another drink, but he catches Karna out of the corner of his eye, noticing that he's being stared at.</p><p>“...What?”</p><p>Karna eyes the cup, before flicking his gaze back up towards Arjuna, “You'll kill yourself if you go at that pace all night.”</p><p>Arjuna scoffs, “You say that as if I'm capable of getting alcohol poisoning.”</p><p>“That isn't what I mean,” Karna says, mulling over what he wants his next words to be, “...Perhaps it would be more correct to say that you'll pass out quickly.”</p><p>“What are you talking about? I can hold my liquor without any trouble.”</p><p>“No you can't.”</p><p>The glare he gets in response is nothing less than <em>frigid</em> with just how cold it is. Arjuna eyes the sake bottle on the table in front of Karna, and he leans over to reach for it, snatching it up and shoving it against his brother's chest. Karna is immediately able to tell where this is going.</p><p>“Then I will <em>prove</em> that not only can I hold my liquor,” he smirks, competitive glint in his eye, “I will be able to hold it better than <em>you</em> can. <em>This </em> will be our new contest of endurance; whoever can drink the most cups within the hour is the winner.”</p><p>Karna knows that this is a terrible idea. No matter what they challenge each other to, big or small, they will put in every ounce of effort they have to see to it that the other person loses, and if sake is added to that mixture, then they are both about to drink a <em>stupid</em>  amount of alcohol for no other reason than to prove that they can.</p><p>His eyes flick over towards Ritsuka briefly. This is not going to be his proudest moment.</p><p>...But the desire to win beats out the knowledge that he will be making an embarrassment out of himself in front of her.</p><p>He grabs the bottle from Arjuna and pours himself a cup.</p><p>As they begin to funnel sake down their throats, Ritsuka, in the meantime, has been rushing back and forth in the room, taking plates and glasses before passing out fresh bottles and more helpings of food. It's a lot, keeping track of everything—and she can't keep track of <em>everything,</em> she lost track of time forever ago—but she still does her best to throw a glance at Karna once in a while to check on him. There's a pleasant feeling in her chest as she sees him and Arjuna having what looks to be a drinking contest, but that feeling gradually turns to deep, <em>deep</em> anxiety as, with each trip out of the room and to the kitchen, every time she returns, there are only more empty bottles that Tamamo then quickly switches out with full ones, wearing a smile that is far too wide on her face.</p><p><em>"Haraamee,"</em>  Arjuna slurs whatever he says badly, plastered to the point of slipping back to his native tongue; it comes out coherently the second time he says it, “Bastard,” the vibrant, alcohol-induced flush on his face severely diminishes the effect of his death glare towards Karna, “I will <em>not</em> lose to you.”</p><p>He leans drunkenly into Karna's space, tugging at the sleeve of his brother's yukata so he will better pay attention as he is insulted. As Karna tips his head back to drink, he silently brings his other hand up, placing it squarely on Arjuna's face, and shoves him back. Some of Arjuna's sake spills as he's pushed away, and he swears loudly at Karna, agitated and moving in towards him again before he is resoundingly shoved back by the face once more in response.</p><p>Ritsuka pauses in her work to watch the ongoing trainwreck in front of her, and is a little disappointed in herself for thinking that the competition could've gone any other way. Just <em>how</em>  wasted the both of them are is still a surprise; she has never seen either of them act the way they are right now, and if they were actually human, Ritsuka can only imagine she would've needed to call for emergency services ages ago.</p><p>Arjuna downs another cup, and it bangs on the table as he moves to refill it.</p><p>“Not <em>only</em>  am I going to beat you,” Arjuna proclaims, and his cup sloshes as he brings it up to drink, panting for air once he's done, “But your loss is going to be <em>humiliating.”</em></p><p>Karna side-eyes him as he finishes another cup. He sets it down, and his lips curl into a small smirk.</p><p>“...You could win every contest of skill we have,” he incoherently mumbles a “thank you” towards Tamamo as she passes by to replace his empty bottle with a fresh one, “But,” Karna meets Arjuna's eye, “I will <em>always</em> be taller than you,” the smirk he wears grows wider and wider, until eventually, the expression he has on is <em>infuriatingly</em>  smug, “I have one centimeter of height on you and you hate it <em>so much.”</em></p><p>Arjuna grits his teeth and his grip around the nearly-empty sake bottle tightens to the point where cracks run up the glass.</p><p>“Go to hell.”</p><p>Karna looks at him over his cup, amused.</p><p>“Did you forget where we are?”</p><p>“Then go fuck yourself, instead!”</p><p>Arjuna finishes off the bottle before he slams it down and signals for another one.</p><p>Almost all of the other Servants have taken to watching the competition, including Tamamo, who is standing out of the way when she is not constantly enabling the two of them to keep going. Ritsuka's brows are pulled together in a worried furrow as she walks up to her; out of the corner of her eye, she catches Anastasia collecting money from several other Servants.</p><p>“I feel like it's getting to the point where we should stop them,” she says, “Which one of them is even winning?”</p><p>“Oh, I don't know,” Tamamo closes her eyes and smiles, “It's been way over an hour and most of us stopped counting cups a while back. I seriously doubt either of them knows how much they've had at this point, too,” she tips her head towards the growing number of Servants who are putting money in Anastasia's hands, “She's collecting a pot on who's gonna drop first. I put in 1,000 QP on Arjuna. I know Karna too well to bet against him on this; even if this is the first time I've ever seen him get <em>this</em> drunk, I know that once he puts his mind to something, he'll get it done,” she taps her foot impatiently, “But really, could Arjuna just drop already? I want my money.”</p><p>Money is still being pooled when Beni-Enma pulls her to the side—along with Mash—once there's finally a lull in the work load, and she happily relieves them from their posts. Ritsuka nurses some non-alcoholic fruity drink that Tamamo had brought her during one of her trips back to the kitchen to grab more alcohol for the drinking contest. While she catches her breath, Ritsuka brushes her hair off her sweaty face, and she stands outside the room with Mash for a moment to cool off and get some fresh air.</p><p>“That was a lot of work...” she fans her face as Mash fixes her own ponytail.</p><p>“It felt rewarding, though!” Mash's joy quickly turns sour, “But, um, Karna and Arjuna...are they going to be okay? The amount of empty bottles that kept getting taken away...and I think they're still going...”</p><p>Ritsuka nervously takes a drink.</p><p>“Servants can't get alcohol poisoning, right?”</p><p>“I don't think so...” Mash says, “But with the amount they drank...it still can't be good.”</p><p>Both jump as they hear a loud <em>'thud',</em> and there is a chorus of groans mixed in with just as many celebratory cheers. Mash and Ritsuka look at each other with matching grimaces.</p><p>When they step back inside the Phoenix Hall, she first lays eyes on several people surrounding Anastasia, collecting their winnings from her. She turns her gaze to the two brothers, and she winces as she sees Arjuna, who is face down on the low table in front of him, hand still wrapped around his sake cup. Ritsuka can't help but feel a moment of panic, and she rushes towards Arjuna to better examine him; he is breathing, to Ritsuka's relief, but is otherwise out cold. An attempt is made to try and prop him up, but his dead weight is too heavy for even Mash to budge, so they resolve to leave him where he is for the time being.</p><p>Karna is sitting seiza next to him, swaying, and though he's still upright, Ritsuka isn't entirely sure that she could describe him as “awake”. He's flushed more than she's ever seen before, all over his face, up to his ears, and down to his collarbone. She carefully moves around Arjuna's passed-out form to kneel by Karna, between the two of them.</p><p>“I think this contest might've been a bad idea...” Ritsuka speaks softly as she touches his shoulder, “Are you okay?”</p><p>Karna turns his head towards her. His eyes narrow, then relax, and he stares blankly at her for what feels like forever before finally speaking.</p><p>“Ritsuka.”</p><p>She cups his face, and is stunned by the amount of heat emanating from him. He runs very warm to begin with; the alcohol has done nothing but exacerbate what was already there.</p><p>“You're usually about as warm as a kotatsu, but now you're like a furnace in winter...” she brushes his hair out of his face, “Do you need me to get you some water or something? I don't know how much that would help with a Servant, but...”</p><p>He places one of his hands on hers.</p><p>“Ritsuka,” he repeats.</p><p>“I'm right here, what is it?”</p><p>His eyes close and open in a slow blink.</p><p>“I," he stops speaking for a worrying amount of time, and Ritsuka leans in as she waits for him to keep going, “...cannot...see.”</p><p>There's a pause. Ritsuka's head turns as she looks behind and up at Mash, who has been quietly standing over her as she checks on him. They are both...so tired.</p><p>“...Okay,” she rises, and Mash steadies her once she's on her feet, “I'm getting you two back to your rooms. Can you stand?”</p><p>Karna does not move.</p><p>“...Karna?”</p><p>His eyes are extremely unfocused as he stares in her general direction, terribly confused, “...Did I...not stand up?”</p><p>Ritsuka runs her hands down her face while Mash can only pat her shoulder in sympathy.</p><p>“Well,” Ritsuka breathes in deep, and exhales slowly, “This'll suck.”</p><p>It is...a <em>task</em> to get him on his feet, requiring endless patience and perfect coordination between herself and Mash, but once he is, it is both a relief and a victory for the both of them and they share the world's most exhausted high-five...but even though he's finally standing, he still almost falls over several times. Ritsuka resolves to simply let him slump against her with his arms wrapped around her waist if that's what will keep him on his feet.</p><p>“I'll be back to help with Arjuna once I get him to his room,” she pats Karna on the arm, “He should be easier to take care of because he can at least walk...I hope.”</p><p>“Are you sure you don't need help?” Mash frowns.</p><p>“I think I'll be okay. Besides,” she glances down at Arjuna, who has not so much as twitched, “I don't trust that some of the Servants here wouldn't take the chance to draw stuff on his face, so someone should keep an eye on him.”</p><p>It takes Ritsuka a solid minute to break free of the limp—yet strangely secure—hold he has on her, and Mash slides opens the door for the two of them as she holds his hands and carefully walks backwards towards the elevator. It is surprisingly simple to lead him in his heavily inebriated state; the only thing terribly different about him is that he is much more insistent on trying to link his fingers with hers, which she eventually just gives him and lets him do, but having to constantly look over her shoulder to make sure she's going the right way is the only part that is any difficult. She makes it to the elevator with little issue, but letting go of one of his hands to work the lever means he can latch onto her again, and when they make it to his floor, it is another few minutes of struggling to get him to let go before she's able to start moving once more.</p><p>All things considered, though, getting him into his room is the easiest part. It's when she tries to <em>leave</em> that it becomes nearly impossible.</p><p>“I'm never letting this happen again,” Ritsuka says, and Karna's arms seem to only get tighter around her torso; almost as soon as the door to his room had closed, he had Ritsuka locked against his chest, “I have to go back, Karna.”</p><p>He says nothing, but he moves his head from on top of hers to bury his face against her neck. Ritsuka wrinkles her nose.</p><p>“How much did you <em>drink?”</em></p><p>“More than Arjuna,” he mumbles.</p><p>“That can't be substantiated, so as far as I'm concerned neither of you won,” her face turns pink as he reaches for one of her hands, slotting his fingers in the spaces of hers and bringing it into his snug hold, “Can you at least <em>see</em> now?”</p><p>His eyes open, and he squints. Ritsuka feels him nod against her neck.</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>The room is silent.</p><p>“...Okay, well, I have to <em>go,</em> あなた,” she catches herself, and she pinches the bridge of her nose, “Dammit...I need to stop calling you that, it's <em>embarrassing...”</em></p><p>“...Hm,” he kisses against her temple, “...मेरे दिल का प्यार.”</p><p>
  <em>'...Mere dil ka pyaar? What is he saying—oh, it's Hindi, no wonder it doesn't make sense to me.'</em>
</p><p>It's hard for Ritsuka to tell if he spoke in his native language on purpose or if he really is just <em>that</em> drunk, but either way, she has no idea what those words mean, and she still needs to leave, so she puts whatever he said out of her mind because she has more pressing matters to think about. One more attempt is made to extract herself, and she's unsurprised when it proves futile. Her right arm is the only part of her body she can move, and as she outstretches her hand, she is...contemplative as she looks at the Command Spells.</p><p>“...Am I really going to have to burn a Command Spell for this?” she sighs, “Karna, lay down and go to <em>sleep</em> already.”</p><p>He goes completely still, before nodding.</p><p>“Understood.”</p><p>A breath of relief comes from Ritsuka; he <em>finally</em>  seems to be listening to her.</p><p><em>“Thank</em> you. Now—.”</p><p>Ritsuka wheezes as she's picked up off the tatami like she doesn't weigh a thing, and she's brought over to the futon with him; he keeps his hold on her ironclad as he lays down on top of the quilt. This situation would be much more pleasant for her if she didn't <em>really </em> need to get back and if Karna didn't smell <em>so</em> strongly of sake. The fact that he's twenty degrees hotter than normal also isn't much help.</p><p>
  <em>“Karna—.”</em>
</p><p>“Goodnight.”</p><p>He squeezes her hand and immediately falls asleep, a heavy, boneless weight against her back, but in spite of that his arms are still tightly ensnared around her and they don't show any sign of loosening. Ritsuka wiggles experimentally...but that only seems to make him more determined—in his <em>sleep—</em>to keep a grip on her.</p><p>Ritsuka closes her eyes and laments the hot springs vacation that she should've been having instead of whatever <em>this</em> is.</p><p><em>'...Welp,'</em>  she tries to get out again, to no avail, <em>'I guess this is my life now,'  </em>there is a realization, and she closes her eyes in pain, <em>'...Aw man...and I still need to get Arjuna back to his room, too...'</em></p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Sunlight filters through the shoji screen that leads out to the balcony, and his eyes slowly start to crack open. When he finally, fully wakes, the last thing he can picture from his extremely foggy memory is that he had been holding onto Ritsuka.</p><p>The pillow in his arms is definitely not Ritsuka.</p><p>It takes a few minutes for the events of yesterday to come back to his mind, and there are several chunks that are outright missing entirely; he vaguely remembers the start of the drinking contest, but it's mostly a blur of being passed bottle after bottle and being called “bastard” every once in a while, which is the closest Arjuna has ever gotten to referring to him in a familial sense. Then he remembers going temporarily blind from just how much alcohol he had consumed and that Ritsuka had helped him back to his room and—.</p><p>And he remembers that Ritsuka had tried to leave several times to go back to work and he drunkenly prevented her from doing so each time and he is squeezing his eyes shut because he is...profoundly embarrassed.</p><p>He stands, and finds himself thankful that he is a Servant, as the hangover he likely would've had to deal with as a human would not have been enjoyable. There is a knock on his door, and though he isn't hungover, he is...stiff, likely from sitting seiza for so long last night and not being used to sleeping on a futon. When he opens the door, Ritsuka is standing outside, carrying a wooden tray of food with a few small bowls and plates on it. The shame is almost instantaneous when he sees her.</p><p>“...Ritsuka, I apologize...I didn't act how I should have towards you last night,” he moves to the side so she can bring the food in and set it on the low table in the middle of the room. When she turns to him, she looks tired, and mildly exasperated, but far from angry.</p><p>“I'm not upset, if you're nervous about that. If I'm being honest it was kind of nice to see you loosen up a little, at least up until the point you two had way, <em>way</em>  too much. Really, if you two weren't Servants you'd both be dead from cirrhosis right now,” she brushes her bangs out of her eyes, “And more than anything, I'd like to know how you kept that death grip on me while you were <em>sleeping.</em> I did manage to eventually get out of it, but <em>still,”</em>  Ritsuka places her hands on his chest and splays her fingers, “How much do you remember of last night? You two had...a lot...to drink.”</p><p>“I only know what happened before and after the contest,” he admits, “As for during, I remember him swearing at me multiple times. There's not much I can recall aside from that...” Karna's eyes avert away from her face, “But I do know I attempted to keep you from returning to your job...I sincerely apologize.”</p><p>Ritsuka shakes her head, and stands on the tips of her toes to kiss him on the cheek.</p><p>“It all worked out, so don't worry too hard. Ms. Beni even lightened my and Mash's work for the morning because we did so much yesterday,” she nods her head at the tray, “Anyway, that's breakfast. It's probably not what you're used to, but I hope you like it. And, um...since my workload got lightened for the morning...I actually...kind of planned something for you, after you ate.”</p><p>“Interesting. Now I'm curious.”</p><p>He is still not entirely used to eating with chopsticks in spite of the many, many times Ritsuka has shown him how to properly use them, and she corrects his hold on them at several points during breakfast. For some reason, the grilled salmon is especially difficult for him to pick up, and she eventually sighs and stills his hand with a light touch.</p><p>“Here,” she gently takes the chopsticks from him, and picks up the piece of fish with it, “...I know you could've gotten this eventually, but, just...” Ritsuka begins to blush, “Um...indulge me?”</p><p>His eyes are tender as he looks at her, “I would do anything for you.”</p><p>“I know,” she holds up the piece of fish, “Enjoy, あなた.”</p><p>She feeds it to him before setting down the chopsticks, and he stares questioningly at her as he eats. Ritsuka's eyes go wide and she places her hand over the bottom half of her face as her blush grows darker.</p><p>He speaks after he swallows his food, “That's the third time you've called me that. I remember you saying it to me last night. What does it mean?”</p><p>Ritsuka shakes her head, and breathes in deep, and as she talks, her speech is muffled from her hand on her face, “Karna, I promise I will tell you what I'm saying, just—not right now.”</p><p>“...I don't understand...” his eyes narrow in confusion, “Why do you need to wait?”</p><p>“Because I'm <em>embarrassed </em> that I keep saying it without thinking,” she groans, and puts her head in her hands, “So give me a little bit to stop being so flustered about it.”</p><p>He finishes up and Ritsuka takes him by the hand, leading him out of his room and towards the elevator. It's still very early in the morning, so the space is almost entirely empty, save a few sparrows fluttering about, and Ritsuka squeezes his hand as they make it to the ground floor before linking her fingers with his and tugging him along excitedly, almost like she's in a hurry. The lobby is a far cry from what it was yesterday as they pass through it, quiet and sparse as opposed to previously being filled to the brim when he arrived with his brother. He eyes the entrance towards the hot springs, and Ritsuka looks back towards him with her eyes nearly sparkling before heading that way.</p><p>“There's actually a private hot spring that's available to be rented for up to an hour,” she stops as they come towards the entrance to the hot springs, and turns to face him, “I found out about it a couple days ago, and when I woke up, and Madam Beni said she moved around some of my chores to give me a reward for everything I did yesterday, I basically begged her to let me use it this morning with you...” Ritsuka's voice trails off, and she tucks her head down, but Karna can see how pink the tips of her ears are.</p><p>He squeezes her hand, and cups the back of her head with his free one, bringing her closer to him and kissing the crown of her head, “I haven't used a hot spring like this before...I'll be able to experience it for the first time with you. It's a wonderful feeling.”</p><p>They enter, and there is a small area with a few square lockers; he follows Ritsuka's lead of stripping down and placing the yukata he'd been provided into one of them. Karna looks over at Ritsuka and sees that she's fully nude and fixing her bun so it's higher up on her head and her bangs aren't in her face, but it's much messier than it was. Once she's done, she beckons him into the next room, a shower room, one that looks similar to her own back at Chaldea, but larger—meant for multiple people. There is a wooden wall separating the showering area from the outside, and steps made of the same material lead down to a stone path that is, presumably, the path to the hot spring.</p><p>“We clean off in here before we get in the hot spring, like what I always do before I get in the bath,” Ritsuka smacks her fist on her flat palm, “It's very important to keep the bath water clean!” she nods seriously, before looking up at him, “I was too exhausted to take one last night...I fell asleep almost as soon as I got back to my room; I showered this morning, so there's not much <em>I</em>  need to do before I go in, but <em>you</em> need to properly wash yourself.”</p><p>“I see.”</p><p>A light bulb seems to go off over her head, and she stands on her toes, hands going up to cup his face as she kisses him. When she pulls back, her orange eyes are soft and hopeful.</p><p>“...Would it be alright if I washed your hair for you?” she speaks gently as his fingers settle around her waist, “I want to be the one taking care of you for once.”</p><p>His lips quirk up, “Yes. But you took care of me plenty last night.”</p><p>“You say that like I should stop!” she brushes her lips against his one more time, “Go sit down and I'll get started.”</p><p>He does as asked and she kisses his cheek as she reaches for the shower nozzle, and she tips his head back. The water is perfectly warm and soothing as she begins to soak his hair.</p><p>“I've always wanted to do something like this with you,” she hangs the nozzle back up, and reaches for the shampoo; her fingers are gentle and thorough as they run through his hair, “For a while I was trying to figure out if I'd be able to properly make a hot spring in one of the simulators. I never thought I'd actually be able to go to a legitimate one with you, even if it is very old-fashioned.”</p><p>“The experience has been enlightening so far,” his skin prickles up as her nails lightly scratch against his scalp, “...This was meant to be a pleasure trip for you, yet even with all the work you have been given, you haven't been this cheerful since Antarctica.”</p><p>She tips his head back again to wash out the shampoo.</p><p>“It's been a nice little slice of home,” he passes her the bottle of conditioner, “I know I haven't been able to take advantage of much of what this place offers...and to be fair, before we started fixing things up, there wasn't much it had to offer in the first place,” she sets the conditioner back in the basket once finished, “But just the ambiance is enough, for me...”</p><p>Ritsuka places her hands on his shoulders, and she leans down to kiss the base of his neck.</p><p>“Either way, I'm glad I could share this with you,” she reaches for the shower nozzle again; her voice is a sweet murmur, “I'm glad that you're here with me, あなた.”</p><p>Karna says nothing in response; however, Ritsuka herself freezes for a moment, and even without being able to see her he can tell that her face is flushed. She runs water through his hair, the room silent save for the hiss of the nozzle. It doesn't take her long to finish, and once she does, he stands and faces her, seeing that her cheeks are pink, and she is holding her hand up to her mouth in an attempt to control how flustered she is.</p><p>He eases her hand away from her mouth and up to his, kissing her knuckles, and he links their fingers, waiting patiently until she finally takes a deep breath and speaks.</p><p><em>“...Anata</em> is a term of endearment in Japanese,” she mumbles shyly, “It can be used as second-person pronoun, depending on the context, but...” her face heats up more, and she keeps her eyes firmly fixed down and to the side, “I've basically been calling you “dear” this whole time. It just...keeps slipping out...”</p><p>“I see...” he wraps his other arm around her waist, and draws her small form against him. She sighs, and rests her cheek against his chest, free hand tracing along the edges of the embedded metal.</p><p>“Sorry I kept dodging it, I was just...I'm still embarrassed about it.”</p><p>He kisses her temple, “Did you think that it would be something I wouldn't like?”</p><p>“No, it's not that...It's just...” she makes a small, distressed noise, and her fingers fidget against his chest, “I—It's how a lot of wives refer to their husbands.”</p><p>Karna hums, and breaks the hold he has on her hand, placing it against the side of her face while she rests both of her palms on his chest. The blush on her cheeks starts to creep up to her ears the longer he looks at her, and he dips his head down to brush his lips against hers. It is gentle, but he lingers against her, and when he finally pulls back, he touches his forehead to hers as his thumb strokes along her flushed cheek.</p><p>“I would be fortunate to have you as a wife.”</p><p>“Eh—?”</p><p>There is a moment of pure shock on her face before what he said really starts to sink in, but once it does, her eyes go wide at the same rate that her blush darkens. It doesn't help that he's staring at her with such a gentle, sincere expression, and it gets to the point that not only is her face burning red, but her ears are, too, and it even starts to spread down to her neck. Karna kisses her forehead, and Ritsuka can only stammer out half-words as she tries to form a response. She eventually, wholly and thoroughly, gives up, hiding her face in her hands as she leans into his chest, and Karna kisses the top of her head, rubbing up and down her back as her brain reboots.</p><p>“...You can't just...” Ritsuka's voice is weak when she finally pulls her hands down, and she tilts her forehead against his chest, “W—We only have so long we can be here, s-so...let me get your back for you.”</p><p>“...Hm. Isn't that something else a wife would do for her husband?” he muses, “These things seem to come naturally to you. It's impressive.”</p><p>Ritsuka splutters, and her face heats up again.</p><p>
  <em>“W—Would you stop that?!”</em>
</p><p>After finally getting him off <em>that </em>subject, once he is cleaned to her satisfaction, Ritsuka shoos him out to the hot spring to start without her while she quickly washes herself down. The hot spring is right around the corner, taking barely three steps to get to, and seconds after he sinks into the water, the tension in his body starts to melt away. A tall bamboo fence surrounds the private hot spring, and Karna tips his head back against a large rock in relaxation, his eyes fluttering closed. The branches of several trees prod over the top of the fence, and he hears the leaves shake as a breeze passes through.</p><p>He hears the wooden steps creak from added weight, and his eyes crack open. Ritsuka does not take long to get in herself, and she moves towards him once she's in the water. His arm lifts so she's able to rest against him, before he drops it back down around her shoulders.</p><p>“It's been so long since I've been in a proper hot spring...I almost forgot how nice it feels...” she murmurs, but before she can fully submit herself to the feeling, her eyebrows furrow together and she looks up at him, “Oh...Karna, can I ask you something?”</p><p>“Yes. Of course.”</p><p>“Last night, after I got you back to your room, you said...” there is a moment of struggle as she tries to remember how he said it, <em>“M...Mere dil ka pyaar?</em>  I think I butchered that pronunciation...”</p><p>“मेरे दिल का प्यार,” he reaffirms what he said last night, “I remember that.”</p><p>“Can I ask what it means?”</p><p>His hand slides down from her shoulder to her bicep, fingers curling around her arm, and he kisses against her forehead before speaking low and soft against her ear.</p><p>“Love of my heart.”</p><p>Ritsuka's cheeks turn pink, and she rests her head back against his chest. Beneath the water, she reaches for his other hand.</p><p>“...You know..." her voice is barely above a whisper, "...Even though I still have so much to do today...and so much to do before I can leave...”  his lips press against the crown of her head, “...Because you're here with me, I couldn't be happier.”</p><p>He pulls her in closer, and she melts into him with a smile.</p><p>“I love you, あなた.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>arjuna and karna in canon: two rivals destined to never act on the familial tie they have and to always fight on opposite sides<br/>arjuna and karna during events and in like half the art pako has drawn of them: they r brothers :)</p><p>anyway, here is information that i wanted to put in but couldnt figure out how to incorporate:<br/>- arjuna punched karna in the face in every servafes loop<br/>- if literally anybody else had tried to wake him up they would not have gotten punched in the face<br/>- arjuna only lasted as long as he did in the drinking contest because he was operating on pure spite and going by the rules that were initially set he technically won</p><p>and lastly, thank god i was finally able to include the fact that arjuna is exactly one centimeter shorter than karna, because it will never not be funny to me.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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